Light-regulator for automobiles.



. W. LEUGKBRT.

LIGHT REGULATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION BIL ED MAY 6, 1909. I

Patented June 14, 1910.

w o m M w ANDREW B GRAHAM co, PNOIO-UTNOGRIFHERS WASHINGTON, 0.

UNITE TAT PTEN @FFTQE.

WILLIAM LEUCKERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES S. HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIGHT-REGULATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1909.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LEUGKERT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in New York, in the borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Light-Regulators for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved light-regulator for automobiles.

The larger sizes of automobiles are provided with five lamps, namely, two headlights, two side-lights and a tail-light. In the city of New York, and perhaps in other large cities, the use of the glaring headlights is prohibited within the city limits, so that only the side and tail lights can be used. Outside of the city limits the headlights are usually switched in. The preferred fuel is acetylene-gas, which is carried along, under pressure, in a tank supported on the frame of the automobile.

,T he object of this invention is to furnish a regulator for the headlights, and eventually for the side and tail lights, by which the lights are fully controlled for full light, a small flame, or shut off entirely when returning to the garage; and for this purpose the invention consists of a light-regulator for automobiles which comprises in its general features a three-way cock that is capable of being set to three positions, namely, closed, half open and entirely open, said three-way cock being connected with a gas supply pipe and two outlet-pipes, which in connection with the ports of the three-way cock permit either a small supply or a full supply of gas to be conducted to the headlights or side and tail lights of the automobile.

The invention relates more in detail to the construction of the three-way cock and its connections, which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of my improved light-regulator for automobiles, Fig. 2 is a sidee1evation, partly in vertical section through the three-way cock, Figs. 3, 4. and 5 are horizontal sections on line 3, 3, Fig. 2, showing the different positions in which the three-way cock can be placed so as to shut off the gas entirely or conduct either a partial or a full supply of gas to the lamps, and Fig. 6 is a top-view of the light-regulator, drawn on a smaller scale, and showing the different positions of the handle when closed or set for a partial or full supply of gas respectively.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the spigot of a three-way cock which is provided with a handle a The spigot a is tapered and seated in a correspondinglyshaped bushing b, the spigot being tightly fitted into the bushing. The lower threaded end of the spigot 04 is connected by means of a screw-socket of, having a nipple a with a cap screwed on the lower end of the bushing 6, said cap being connected by a gassupply pipe (Z with a tank containing acetylene-gas under pressure. The bushing b is connected at different heights with two outlet-pipes [Z1, (Z which are provided with stopcocks 0Z (Z by the adjustment of which the proper pressure under which the gas is to be delivered to the headlights and the side and tail lights of the automobiles is regulated. The two outlet-pipes are united into one deliverypipe 6Z5, which leads to the headlights of the automobile, being divided into two branches at the proper point, one for each headlight. l/Vhen it is desired to control also the supply of gas to the side and tail lights, a second regulator, of the same construction, is used, only that in this case the delivery-pipe CF is branched out into three branch-pipes, one for each lamp.

The three-way cock and its bushing are inclosed by a sheet-metal casing c, which is attached by flanges e and screws 6 to the dashboard of the automobile, in front of the chauffeur, so that the handle or handles a of the three-way cook or cocks are within easy reach. When two regulators are used, they are arranged side by side. The casing 6 serves for protecting the regulating device and the outlet-pipes, and bears on its topplate 6 the indicating marks for the closed, half-open and open positions of the threeway cock, as shown in Fig. 6. To the spigot is attached an indicator 2', which is moved with the handle a over the top-plate into the position required.

The spigot a is provided with several ports. A large port 0 registers with an opening 0 in the bushing with which the outlet-pipe d for the full supply of gas is connected, as shown in Fig. 5'. The spigot a is further provided, at a point diametrically opposite to the opening 0, but somewhat above the larger port 0, with a smaller port 0 which registers with a small opening 0 of corresponding size in the bushing b, said opening 0 being connected with the outletpipe d for the smaller or partial supply of gas, as shown in Fig. i. From the smaller opening 0 extends a quadrantal channel 0 on the outer circumference ofthe spigot, which connects, when a full supply of gas is to be delivered, the interior of the spigot a by the ports 0,. 0 and 0 0 with both outletpipes d (P, as shown in'Fig. 5, so that a full supply is delivered by the outlet-pipe (Z2 and a small supply by the outlet-pipe al to the burners of the headlights.

Fig. 3 shows the position of the three-way cock when the gas is shut ofl. In this position neither one of the outlet-ports of the spigot is connected with the outlet-openings of the bushing. The three-way cock is placed into this position when the automobile is returned to the garage. When the automobile leaves the garage, or when the lights are to be lighted on the approach of night, the three-way cock is set from the position shown in Fig. 3, into the position shown in Fig. 4, by turning the handle a for an angle of 90 into the half-open position of the stop-cock. This brings the port 0 into register with the outlet-opening 0 of the bushing, so that a small supply of gas is conducted through the outlet-pipe d to the headlights so as to permit the lighting of the burners of the same and keep them burning with a small flame. When it is then desired to give the headlights a full supply of gas, the handle is again turned for an angle of 90 so as to bring the spigot into entirely-open position, in which case the port 0 of the spigot is placed into register with the opening 0 of the bushing and instantly a full supply of gas turned on the headlights. In this case not only the full supply passing through the delivery-pipe 0Z but also the small supply of gas that is conducted through: the opening 0 the quadrantal channel 0 and outlet-opening 0 is conducted to the delivery-pipe (P, so that the quick changing of the headlights to full flame, or by returning the handle to halfopen position the quick return of the headlights from full flame to small flame, is obtained, without any fluctuation, which would notbe the case if the quadrantal connecting channel were not employed, as by the use of the same the quick enlar ement or reduction of the flames of the headlights is produced. This position of the spigot isshown in Fig. 5.

By arranging the cap 6 at the lower end 'of the bushing, a sufficient space is provided from which the gas is supplied to the short nipple a of the'spigot, while at the samelarge flame when outside of the city, or shut off entirely when returning to the garage;

For regulating also the side-and'taillights',

a second regulator, side by side with the regulator for the headlights, is arranged, and thereby these lights placed under the same convenient control as the headlights; but the second regulator may be dispensed with as the control of the side and tail lights is not so necessary as the regulation of the headlights, in view of the municipal requirements referred to. ever, to have also a regulator for the side and tail lights, owing to the great convenience which the same offers in manipulating the lights from the seat of the chauffeur, while the automobile is in motion, without stopping for lighting them and turning them on for full flame one after the other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a light-regulator, the combination of a bushing having a pair of outlet-openings, and a spigot rotatable in said bushing-and having a central opening and having a larger and a smaller opening connected with the central opening for conducting gas, said spigot being provided with an additional channel communicating with said smaller opening and adapted to register with one of the outlet openings of said pair when the larger opening registers with the other outlet opening of said pair. 7

2. In a light-regulator, the combination of a bushing having an upper and a lower outlet opening, a spigot in said bushing and having a smaller opening adapted to register with the upper outlet openingv and a larger opening adapted to register with the lower outlet opening. and having a central opening communicating with the larger and smaller openings, and a gas-conducting passage connecting with said central opening, said spigot being provided with a qua'drantal channel adapted to register with the upper outlet opening when said larger opening reg isters with the lower outlet opening.

8. A light-regulator for automobiles comprising a three-way cock consisting of a spigot provided with a handle and indicator, said spigot being provided with ports for a partial or full supply of gas, and a quad- It is preferable, how-- rantal channel extending on the outer sur- In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as face of the spigot from the smaller port, a my invention, I have signed my name in 10 bushing for the spigot provided With a presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses. smaller and a larger outlet-openin outletpipes, one connected with the smaller outlet- WILLIAM LEUOKERT opening and the other With the larger outlet- Witnesses:

opening of the bushing, and a delivery-pipe PAUL GoEPEL,

uniting the outlet-pipes. HENRY J. SUHRBIER. 

